Lance Reddick, renowned musician and actor, passed away on March 17, 2023 of heart disease, at his home in Studio City, California. Reddick’s death sent a shockwave through both the film and gaming community, as he played a role in some of the greatest franchises of the 21st Century. While his work has been honored in several different ways over the past few months, Guerilla Games is the most recent developer to make a tribute to the actor.
This memorial comes in the form of floating plaque overlooking the Hollywood sign in the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores expansion. While it is unclear when this particular memorial was added, there are suspicions it came from the 1.26 patch.
The Legacy Lance Reddick Left Behind Will Be Remembered
The connection Reddick has to both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West is his role as the character Sylens, a complex quasi-antagonist to Aloy, the primary playable character. Reddick did the voice work as well as motion capture for Sylens and had a major contributor to the PlayStation exclusive franchise. This has left many fans wondering what will come next following the actor’s death. If you’re unfamiliar with the plot of Horizon Forbidden West, then this is your warning that some minor spoilers will be mentioned in the following paragraph.
The ending of Horizon Forbidden West certainly left the door open for Lance Reddick’s character to return in future installments, as a fight against Nemesis begins to grow. Although Aloy and her companions spread out to warn others of the coming danger, he was still very alive and present by the end of the game. This creates two sides to a very complicated issue.
While some fans will want Sylens to have a completed story arc, others will want the character laid to rest. In a world where celebrities are selling the posthumous rights to their name, image, and likeness, the chance of a return is not impossible. However, while this could be a unique and fascinating way to keep the character involved, hopefully Guerilla Games will put the wishes of the actor and his family first.
While Horizon Forbidden West will be one of the very last games involving Reddick, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, is the last and will have the actor voicing the title character. His last film and television roles, which have yet to debut, include: Ballerina, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians all of which will be released in 2024.
Reddick was involved in major film and television franchises such as The Wire, Fringe, Bosch, White House Down, Oz, Resident Evil, Lost, Rick and Morty, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and much more. Most recently, he gained much attention for his role in the John Wick franchise, playing Charon, the concierge of the Continental. In the gaming world, aside from the Horizon series, he played the role of Commander Zavala in Destiny and Destiny 2, where he has been memorialized by players who have visited his character and saluted him. He was also involved with John Wick: Hex, Payday 2, and Quantum Break.
He was only 60 years old at the time of his death and is survived by his spouse, Stephanie Day, as well as two children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick. The actor was a graduate of the University of Rochester as well as Yale University where he obtained his Master of Fine Arts degree. Several of Reddick’s friends and colleagues have paid him tribute such as: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Wendell Pierce, Isiah Whitlock Jr., David Simon, Ben Stiller, and Ashly Birch. He was a beloved actor and will surely be missed by his fans and colleagues who have immensely enjoyed his work.
It is a great honor to help preserve the memory of a man who brought joy to the lives of those who loved his acting, and were captivated by his performances.
Source: IGN
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